The love affair people have with their automobiles is a well-known fact. Countless hours are spent cleaning, waxing, and detailing cars all around the world every day, just so they can look their best as they drive down the road. Many people also go to extra lengths to draw attention to their car. This is evidenced by the great popularity of custom paint schemes, custom wheels, and even special neon lights. However, one (1) item that is the same on every car from the cheapest junker to the most exotic sports car is that of the license plate. As such, many people do not want to draw attention to such plates and will go out of their way to remove them while at shows or gatherings. This tactic however requires time when removing the plates and then replacing them to drive back home. Additionally, many cars must add holes and bushings to allow the plate to be attached to vehicles which is not in line with its styling. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which a license plate display on specialty vehicles can be addressed without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the apparatus herein fulfills this need.
The present invention is a retractable license plate bracket for motor vehicles. The retractable license plate bracket presents a license plate on a motor vehicle in the customary manner albeit close to the ground and provides the ability for the license plate to fold up under the vehicle when the vehicle is parked or being displayed. Many areas require license plates to be displayed on the front and the back end of a vehicle; additionally, this may require unsightly holes and fasteners that many vehicle owners do not want on their vehicles. The retractable license plate bracket comprises a plurality of slide assemblies, electrically-operated mechanical components, and a license mounting plate which are mounted to the undercarriage of a vehicle. In this manner, sport cars, show cars, cars with low ground clearance and the like, can be provided with license tags for motoring purposes on the road, yet allow the license tag to essentially disappear when at shows or for aesthetic purposes. The use of the present apparatus provides a simple and effective solution to the necessary requirement of motor vehicle license plates on specialty vehicles in unique and novel way manner.
Several attempts have been made in the past to provide attachments for vehicle accessories. U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,872, issued in the name of Slater, discloses a concealable vehicle bumper step comprising a bumper with a concealable step, a fascia side, and an under vehicle storage area. The Slater bumper step provides a releasably attached step located subjacent to an automobile bumper which can be concealed from view within a storage area when not in use. However, unlike the present invention, the Slater concealable bumper step does not provide a means for displaying or concealing required license plate tags.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,133, issued in the name of Murray et al., discloses a retractable spare tire carrier designed to carry a spare tire under a vehicle. The Murray spare tire carrier comprises a tire assembly mounting plate and a cantilevered arm which is mounted to the underside of the vehicle frame. However, unlike the present invention, the Murray retractable spare tire carrier is manually manipulated and is for use with spare tire storage and concealment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,090, issued in the name of Quanbeck et al., discloses a retractable hitch which is mounted to the rear end of a towing vehicle. The Quanbeck hitch comprises a hitch which is slidably mounted with a housing attached to a towing vehicle. The hitch extends out from the vehicle in a working position and retracts into the housing in a stowed position. However, unlike the present invention, the Quanbeck retractable hitch is simply a single axis, manually engaged slide mechanism for trailer hitches.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,060, issued in the name of Meester et al., discloses a vehicle license plate holder assembly with roadside assistance request mechanism. The Meester license plate holder assembly comprises a vehicle mounting housing with an emergency signal light and a pivoting license plate bracket. The license plate bracket temporarily lowers about a pivoting arm revealing the emergency signal. However, unlike the present invention, the Meester vehicle license plate holder assembly with roadside assistance request mechanism does not enable the concealment of a license plate tag though a mechanical retracting mechanism and requires additional mounting to the exterior of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,526, issued in the name of Derochers, discloses a retractable boat bumper system and method comprising a bumper plate and positioning mechanism. The Derochers boat bumper system provides a two (2) position extendable boat bumper which protects a boat from possible damage when docked. However, unlike the present invention, the Derochers retractable boat bumper system does not provide a mechanically activated system to conceal the bumper.
The prior art appears to disclose various retractable vehicle accessories. However, none of the prior art particularly describes a tag plate positioning bracket which comprises a license plate bracket mounting mechanism which provides a means of retraction and concealment when the vehicle is not being driven. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which the requirement of license tag display can be provided while minimizing the vehicle exterior alteration or appearance without the disadvantages as described above.